Why do people not check Ore vs Bars?

[tiffy33]

I recently rerolled and just hit 8k gold and Im only 65. I dont know if thats good or not but seems like a pretty decent start. Almost all of it has come in the last 2 days after I got to TBC. I noticed people were selling stacks of Fel Iron Ore for only 45g each while bars were selling for 160g a stack. I bought a few stacks of ore just to see how fast they would sell if I smelted them to bars and everything sells out in less than an hour. I just keep buying every stack of Fel Iron Ore I see for 45g and turning it into bars to sell for 160g. Thats 70g profit per stack for absolutely zero work. So why are people posting only ore when they could make so much more selling the bars...not that im complaining.

[Rabian]

Because some people are too lazy to smelt and just want a quick buck from selling ore? I have noticed it as well on just about every server I've played on, with the exception of certain ores that are valuable for prospecting.

[KCguy]

Some people either don't know or don't care. I do it all the time. I'm lazy, I don't need gold, so I just throw it up at a cheap price so it sells. lol. Leveling up though? Absolutely. Things like this are a good idea to check, especially if you're on a different server and starting from scratch. Need all the gold you can get in the beginning.

[Lochton]

I do, always done. And, I've noticed that many don't. So I always buy the cheapest and keep it away from people.. Yes, I hoard for reasons. Either people buy them off me, or I need them for professions. For example, I have gathered enough bars to make 4 Sky Golems.

So, my eyes is always on the auction house for offers..

For example, current ghost iron. If the 40 Ghost Iron Ores are more expensive then the 20 Ghost Iron bars, then I'll buy the bars. If the bars are more expensive, then I'll buy the ores.

(yes, just incame, I have a calculated on the table... mostly because when it's late at night, can't do much calculating in my head so late, hehe)

[Heladys]

Ores sell because they're used for far more than just smelting into bars.

The real question is why are people paying such crazy prices for smelted bars - a certain premium for the profession effort certainly, but on that level? Nuh-huh.

[xskarma]

Some of it is probably people that level Engineering or BS without a Miner, and part of it is because smelting ore to bars takes a long ass time. If you have limited time that smelting time is a high annoyance.

[Lysakers]

Some of it is probably people that level Engineering or BS without a Miner, and part of it is because smelting ore to bars takes a long ass time. If you have limited time that smelting time is a high annoyance.

Was gonna say the same thing.
I have BS on a toon that dosnt have mining, and when leveling him in BS i had no miner available to smelt ores for me.
Thus i was forced to buy bars in order to level (the hassle of finding a miner on trade seemed like more work that it was worth).

[Adp]

It's because gold is largely meaningless.

[Sinndra]

any time i sell ore, its because i always think more can be done with raw ore, then with already made bars. i mean ore, can be smelted.. prospected.. somebody might wanna use the ore to level mining with. while the bars, are more specific in uses. mainly only BS'rs and Engi's will want those. so if i try to make ANY money.. ill smelt a few bars, and leave the rest as raw ore.

[Deleted]

Also bare in mind most high pop servers will have bots running on them who just auto post the ore and don't really care about the profit margins they just want a quick sell. Typically the ore will also make a solid profit by being prospected as well for those power-levelling JC and just buy all the required materials off the ah.

[Khal]

And there are some people that doesn't think much before putting something in AH...

I don't know... but I think they use some addon to sell things, because if u put 1 single ore for like half of the price, everyone starts to undercut your single ore, then you just buy everything '-'

[ripponesan]

Ores sell because they're used for far more than just smelting into bars.

The real question is why are people paying such crazy prices for smelted bars - a certain premium for the profession effort certainly, but on that level? Nuh-huh.

For example there are engineers, which can still make good use of Frostbombs. Yeah thats one of the bombs that an engineer has at its disposal. They are kinda like a ranged frostnova with a casttime, tho you can cast that while moving. Freezes only for 4 seconds but well.
And last time i checked they still needed fel-iron to create them. So yeah as an engineer i have a constant need of fel iron ore/bars.

[Avada Kedavra]

Prospecting

^ is the main reason. I search for what I need. And usually I find ass hats doing what you described, so I will look for the ore because it is cheaper.

[yurano]

Most people can't smelt.

Profession high rollers generally don't have a Mining toon because all gathering professions are considered "lesser".